Bow and arrow hunters have always been faced with a serious problem, one which is especially encountered in cold weather climates. The problem relates to holding the bow and arrow in the ready position for long periods of time, e.g. the time spent waiting in a hunting blind. If the hunter tries to hold the bow for long periods, fatigue can set in which can not only reduce the enjoyment of a hunting trip but can reduce shooting accuracy due to muscle fatigue. If the hunter decides to rest by putting the bow down, a missed shot may result from the delay in picking up the bow and nocking the arrow or an animal may be spooked due to the movement required to prepare for the shot.
As mentioned above, these problems are compounded in cold weather climates where a hunter needs to warm his hands by placing them in his pockets. Also, where snow is encountered, any movement may be more noticeable to the prey.
One solution to the problems just described is a bow holder which includes a strap secured around a tree trunk or limb with a fork-shaped element designed to grasp the end of a bow and hold it in an upright position. The seller of this type of bow holder indicates that an arrow can be nocked while the bow is being held by the holder, but the holder does not hold the arrow itself and the arrow can be unnocked during the movement required to disengage the bow from the forked-shaped clasp element. Moreover, this type of holder is only useful if a limb is located adjacent to the blind and is not useful in situations where the hunter is walking or standing in an open location. An improved bow and arrow holder would be a significant advance in this technology.